After yet another disappointing performance, this time in the World T20, the country is typically indulging in one of its favourite pastimes: crucifying the captain.
It would perhaps be smarter to focus our attention elsewhere: the role of coach Duncan Fletcher and the impact he has had since he took over in April 2011.
The media-shy former Zimbabwe batsman had proved to be a super coach when he was in the hot seat in England from 2000 to 2005; he was hired by BCCI when Gary Kirsten, who had worked under him at Western Province, and senior Indian cricketers plumped for him.
Fletcher came with the reputation of being an exceptional man-manager and was said to have a way with younger players. According to former England skipper Nasser Hussain, with whom Fletcher struck a successful partnership, he was also an excellent batting coach who could deal with any technical shortcomings like a doctor would treat a patient.
Eighteen months, eight humbling Test losses on the trot, 12 ODI defeats, including two tournaments where India didn't even qualify for the final and six T20 reversals later, it's almost impossible to see any positive contribution from him.
Often on match-eves, one has seen visuals of Fletcher in close consultation with skipper MS Dhoni and they always seem to be having intense and important discussions.
However, results don't seem to suggest that they had worked out something beneficial to the team, or indeed to the players who have been struggling. At this stage, it's only natural to raise the big question: what exactly has he done so far?
While it can be argued that after Kirsten had combined with Dhoni to lead the Indian team to the pinnacle of the 50-overs and Test formats, the only direction that India could take was downwards.
After all, the team was on the cusp of transition too and was on the verge of losing batting stalwarts ; worse, they were about to embark on tough, overseas sojourns. But the fall has been too drastic, too brutal.
Journalists who toured with the Indian team on those ill-fated tours of England and Australia reported how the coach looked bereft of ideas and how every net session looked to be a mechanical affair. There was no effort or strategy made to deal with the problem of short-pitched deliveries.
Neither were there one-on-one sessions with struggling batsmen, like Kirsten famously had with Sehwag and Tendulkar. Most importantly, Fletcher will have to accept that he was neither firm nor frank with the senior players about their future and their utility.
Fletcher's phlegmatic attitude is not such a bad thing, especially in a country like India which is always given to hyperbole, a bit of anger and disappointment isn't too bad.
Sehwag might not have become the player that he was between 2002 and 2006 if John Wright had probably not caught him by his collar at the Oval in 2002. Yuvraj Singh might not have had the desire to come back fitter and excel in the 2011 World Cup had Gary Kirsten not rebuked him with his now famous, "Get your fitness in order. I think I'm fitter than you" in 2010.
While Greg Chappell was much maligned for his tendency to rub seniors the wrong way, even his worst critic Sourav Ganguly will admit that had the Aussie not rebuked him and taken him out of his comfort zone, he would never have mustered the anger, if not determination, to come back.
It was reported that Fletcher had a long talk with the Indian players after they crashed out of the World T20, telling them not to worry as they had played well. That's plain sugar-coating of facts.
India were probably the worst fielding side amongst the Test teams, their bowling was average, the batting was inconsistent and the captaincy was conservative.
Fletcher still has six months left in his contract. He has the comfort of playing two tough opponents on home soil. It would work in Fletcher's favour to give the players a good, old-fashioned rocket at times and not indulge in ego-massaging.
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